Pump



March 4, 1941. B, R, WALSH HAL 2,233,825

PUMP

Fil ed Aug. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I L36 77 7/ 7c/f 3. Z

Qrwwwtms l @ruccEWalSh Ernesj: Mar i,

PatentedMar. 4, 1941- PATENT OFFICE PUMP Bruce R. Walsh, Wilkinsburg, and Ernest Mori, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Gulf Research & Development Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application August 4, 1939, Serial No. 288,460

2 Claims. -(Cl. 103-103) This invention or discovery relates to pumps; and it comprises an improved rotary pump of high capacity and compact construction, the pump including a rotor in the form of a hub of approxi- 5 mately conical contour with a plurality of blades joined to the hub in planes parallel to the axis thereof and extending through asubstantial part of the length of the hub, said blades increasing in height toward the apex of the hub, a casing closely surrounding the blades and provided with an annular recess adjacent the terminal portions of the blades at the base of the hub, an abutment across said recess and an exhaust duct for the recess adjacent the abutment, and inlet means in the casing adjacent the apex of the rotor; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In rotary pumps for deep well use and related applications, space limitations are severe. Centrifugal pumps are often employed, as many as 50 stages sometimes being incorporated in a single unit to develop the necessary head. In such installations, the speed of the runners is limited and the head developed is dependent on the runner diameter. It is sometimes hard to arrange for a suiliciently large impeller, however, because the .volute casing required for centrifugal pumps, which give a radial discharge, is substantially larger than the runner. Because .of the ,space restrictions, the runners in centrifugal pumps for deep well use often can be only three or four inches in diameter. Similar limitations apply to propeller-type well pumps.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of a pump of the rotary type in which the casing is only slightly larger than the rotor, while high capacity is preserved; the provision of an improved form of axial discharge rotary pump of a high degree of compactness and eillciency; the provision of a pump combining in a novel manner features of both centrifugal and propeller type pumps; and the provision of a pump of the character described particularly suitable for axial stacking to form multiple units.

These and other objects are achieved by the provision of a pump which includes a casing and a rotor in the form of a generally conical hub with blades joined thereto substantially parallel to the axis. The blades increase in height toward the apex of the hub, and advantageously 50 extend from the base of the hub to points near its apex. The casing or housing fits the rotor closely throughout most of its length, and has a discharge cavity, advantageously in the form of an annular trough adjacent the base of the rotor, for

55 approximately axial discharge. with an abutment across the trough, adjacent which is the discharge duct. Liquids are admitted to the casing at the small end of the rotor.

The pump develops a remarkably high shutofl head, and its efliciency and volumetric capacity 5 are very good. Among the important features which make for its success are the conical or bullet-shaped hub with blades parallel to the axis extending over most of its length; the trough-like discharge chamber cooperating with the blade 10 ends and with the abutment located next the discharge duct; and the closely fitting casing for the rotor. The number of blades, when straight blades are provided, is best made eight or twelve, though rotors with six blades have given excellent 15 results. The specific embodiments to be described represent highly desirable forms of the pump, as determined byextensive tests on these and various modified constructions.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown 20 more or less diagrammatically three examples of specific embodiments of a machine within the purview of the invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view of one form of pump in central vertical-section with some. parts shown in ele- 25 vation;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the pump of Fig. 1, with part of the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section along line 3-3 of Fig. 4, 30 of pairof modified pump units arranged for stack ing end to end;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 3, with the inlet housing of the first pump removed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of rotor with curved blades.

Referring to the drawings and more particu- 40 larly to Figs. 1 and 2, the pump comprises 9. casing formed in two parts, an inlet portion or suctionsnout III and a discharge portion H. In this embodiment, the parts are fastened together by studs and nuts [2. Within the casing is a rotor or runner l3, advantageously of hollow construction, as shown, for the sake of lightness, and keyed at ll to a shaft l5 extending through the dis-' charge part of the casing and supported therein by anti-friction bearings I. A packing gland ll of conventional type is fitted around the shaft.

The rotor has a hub portion of.approidmately conical or bullet form as shown, the walls of the cone rounding oil at 2| into a substantially cylindrical portion 2 l. A conical nut "aids in securing the rotor to the shaft and forms the apex of the rotor. The rotor has a plurality of blades 23', shown as eight in number, which are advantageously integral with the hub. Each blade extends from the base 24 of the conical hub, to a point near the apex of the hub, as shown, Each blade terminates at the large end of the hub in a fiat portion 25, having substantially parallel edges which are parallel to the hub axis; and each.

is also formed with an annular recess 32 defining an annular space 33 surrounding the flat portions of the blades at the base of the rotor. Pro-vision of this annular space 33 adjacent the base of the rotor is important for proper functioning of the pump; and this space may be provided by properly shaping the inlet member H], as shown, or by modifying the shape of the discharge member I l.

The discharge part H of the casing is provided with an annular recess or trough 3d opposed to and adjoining the recess 33 and extending com 3% pletely around the discharge casing except for an abutment 35 bridging the recess as shown in Fig. 2. A discharge duct 36 is provided in casing H, connectin with the recess 34 adjacent the abutment 35. The direction of rotation of the rotor,

35 as indicated by arrow 37 in Fig. 2, is such that the outlet 36 is, on the pressure side of the abutment 35.

Liquid is admitted to the inlet snout through an orifice or connection 38 and pumped liquid is discharged through a connection 39 communicating directly with duct 38. Both' connections are advantageously threaded, as shown, or provided with othersuitable means of attachment.

In operation, shaft i 5 is rotated by a suitable power means, not shown, at an appropriate speed which may be. in typical cases, 1750 R. P. M. for a 6-inch diameter rotor. Liquids are pumped through the apparatus at high eificiency.

It will be noted that the discharge space at the base of the rotor is only slightly larger than the rotor itself, which makes for a high degree of compactness. At the same time the discharge passages shown and described make for greatest efliciency of operation with this rotor.

The relative proportions of the several parts of the pump as shown in the drawings are very good for achieving high capacity and efiiciency while keeping the manufacture simple. Some modifi-.

cation of these proportions is feasible while retaining the advantages of the invention. The curvature at 20 can be made more sharp, with but a slight loss in efiiciency, should this be found more convenient in some particular case. 'Recess 32, for best results, should not be much shallower, i. e. of smaller diameter, than shown; ample clearance should be provided radially from blade portiosn 25. Recess 34 can be somewhat shallow her than shown.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the pump, arranged for connecting several units in series- Each unit comprises aninlet casing or suction snout 40 connected at 4| to an outlet casing. Snout 40 has a threaded portion 43 orequivalent connecting member, and discharge casing 42 has a similar connecting member 44. so that the units can be coupled together by nipples 45, for example, as shown. The rotor I3 is like that of Figs. 1 and 2 and requires no detailed description. It is mounted on a shaft 46 having a portion of reduced diameter 41' retaining the rotor. 5 The shaft passes through a gland or collar 48, and has a portion 89, advantageously of reduced diameter, adapted'for coupling by a coupling member 50 to the shaft of the next pump in the series. This shaft 55 of the second pump has 10 a portion or attachment 56, advantageously of reduced diameter, extending beyond the rotor apex as shown, and adapted for connection at 59 to portion 69 of the first shaft. An annular frustoconical nut 5! is provided at the apex of 15 the second rotor, in lieu of the conical nut 22, previously described. An annular space surrounding blade portions 25, indicated at 55, is provided in the discharge casing in the apparatus of Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the trough 20 or discharge recess, indicated at 52, is permanently connected with the annular space 5i, and com municates with a discharge duct 53 adjacent a transverse member or abutment 55 in the trough 52.

Operation of the apparatus of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is like that of 'Figs. 1 and 2. The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is particularly suitable for deep well pumps or similar installations where a pump must be installed in a space of restricted di- 30 ameter.

In Figs. 1 to 5, the blades are shown as straight. If desired they can be bent over in the direction of rotation as indicated at 23 in Fig. 6. This arrangement makes for slightly higher efliciency 35 than when straight blades are used and is valuable where the increase in efiiciency is of sufficient importance to warrant the necessary extra manufacturing operations. In employing curved blades, eight blades'is a good number.

The pump may be manufactured from the usual materials for pump construction, such as steel or bronze. The shapes of. the pump parts are such that thepump can readilybe constructed of non-metallic materials, for handling corrosive liquids.

What we claim is:

l. A pump comprising in combination a. rotor having a hub of substantially conical contour 50 merging into parallelism with the axis at its basal end provided with a plurality of blades extending from the hub substantially parallel to the axis thereof and terminating at points near the apex of the conical rotor hub and at the base of said 5 hub, each blade'increasing in height from the hub base toward the hubapex, a housing surrounding the blades closely over that portion of the blades which extends over the conicalportion of the hub and closely surrounding the base 60 of the hub, said housing being provided with a recess the walls of which are substantially circular and concentric with the rotor axis, the in'- nerwall having a radius no greater than that of the basal portion f the hub and the outer of the hub merges into parallelism with the axis. 70

to a plane axially spaced from the base of the hub; a transverse abutment extending between the walls of said annular recess in the portion thereof beyond the hub base, an outlet passage in the housing communicating ,withthe recess 75 on the approach side of the abutment and inlet meansfor the housing adjacent the hub apex.

2. A pump comprising in combination a rotor having a hub of substantially conical contour with .a cylindrical basal portion merging smoothly therewith, and provided with a plurality of blades the bases of which extend from the hub substantially parallel to the axis thereof and terminate at points respectively near the apex of the hub and at the base of said hub, each blade increasing in height fromvthe hub base toward the hub apex, a housing surrounding the blades closely over that portion of the blades which extends over the conical portion of the hub and closely opposed to and surrounding the base of the hub, said housing being provided with a recess the walls of which are substantially circular and concentric with the rotor axis, the inner wall having a radius no greater than that ofthe basal portion of the hub and the outer wall having a radius greater than that of the blades at the basal portion of the hub, said recess extending in an axial direction from a plane adjacent the region where said conical portion of the hub merges into said cylindrical portion, to a plane axially spaced from the base of the hub; a transverse abutment between the walls of said annular recess,'in the portion thereof beyond the hub base, an outlet passage in the housing communicating with the recess on the approach side of the abut-v ment and inlet means for the housing adjacent the hub apex.

BRUCE R. WALSH.

ERNEST MORI. 

